Assignment: Issues Around Developing A New Strategic Plan for Rhode Island SchoolsResearch and Teach-in
Introduction
Our final project of the course provides you with an opportunity to deepen your understanding of issues that are related to current reform efforts around the country as well as here in Rhode Island. Your goal should be to deepen your knowledge about what is going on beneath the "platitudes,"( e.g. "students first," "excellent teacher is the most important factor in a child's education," etc.), so that you can teach us something that either excites, interests, or concerns you. In the course of researching a reform issue, you will decide how issues and ideas might inform the development of a new Strategic Plan for the Rhode Island Department of Education.
For this project, you will work in a team of four students to complete two different project components: Individual research around an educational issue that is important to you as well as important for improving our schools and an in-class teach-in around the problems and solutions related to your team's strategy. The background research consists of a collection of article citations, summaries and reactions that provide information related to questions you have about to your issue. Our proposed strategic plan, along with its supporting research, will be published on our PUBLIC wikispace: RISchools.
In your team, you will decide on an overall question at least one research subquestion per person in your team. Each team member will locate and summarize one textbook chapter and five articles related to one of these subquestions. Each team will create a background research page in URITK that will combine these summaries to form a collection of articles around the original issue. Each individual’s research as well as the team’s background research page will be initially posted in URITK.
The second component of this project is a teach-in. Each group will have one class period to teach the class as much as they can about their particular reform issue and its potential impact on RI schools. Each class must include both background information and an engaging activity. Background information can include presentations, videos, powerpoint slides, etc. Activities can include application tasks, games, discussions, skits, you name it. (You’re the teachers!). Since time is so short, each group will also moderate a discussion online about their research and what they taught us in class.
Instructions
Part 1: Background Research Guidelines
Each individual should complete their background research and represent their results on URITK by
Each Team should complete their shared page on URITK by
Each team’s Background Research page should be linked to the EDC 102 Final Project Page and should be created using the template “EDC 102 Fnl Prj Team Page.”
Each team member should complete his or her background research on a page created from the “EDC 102 Fnl Proj Student Research” template. Each person should follow the instructions on the template page and link to his or her team’s page.
Each researcher should include the following types of articles to investigate their research question:
At least one editorial or opinion essay.
One analysis article from a magazine such as Newsweek, Time, or reputable newspaper such as the NYTimes.
One article from a scholarly or professional journal, such as Educational Leadership, The Science Teacher, etc.
One summary article such as a CQ Researcher Report or an essay from the Points of View database.
At least one reputable website or online blog entry that uses evidence to make an argument
For each article, you should include the following:
Its citation in APA style. (Please post a citation for each of your articles in our shared space in Zotero groups.)
One paragraph that summarizes the article
One paragraph that presents your reaction to the article, including how you think it informs our concerns about Rhode Island schools.
Part 1 of the project will be evaluated based on its completeness and overall quality.
Part 2: Teach-in
As your team is completing its background research, you should meet often to decide what is important to share and how you will engage the class so that we learn what you think is important. The remaining class time is available for your work, but you may also need to meet outside of class. Your goal should be to push us beyond a “common sense” understanding of your issue and present more than one side of any controversies that exist.
You will teach one of the last four class sessions. Because time is short, there will be a sliding extra credit award for teams that decide to present earlier rather than later. Your group can sign up for a presentation time online on the Final Project Page in URITK.
Part 2 will be evaluated on how effectively it informs and engages the class. The evaluation rubric is posted online.
Introduction
Our final project of the course provides you with an opportunity to deepen your understanding of issues that are related to current reform efforts around the country as well as here in Rhode Island. Your goal should be to deepen your knowledge about what is going on beneath the "platitudes,"( e.g. "students first," "excellent teacher is the most important factor in a child's education," etc.), so that you can teach us something that either excites, interests, or concerns you. In the course of researching a reform issue, you will decide how issues and ideas might inform the development of a new Strategic Plan for the Rhode Island Department of Education.
For this project, you will work in a team of four students to complete two different project components: Individual research around an educational issue that is important to you as well as important for improving our schools and an in-class teach-in around the problems and solutions related to your team's strategy. The background research consists of a collection of article citations, summaries and reactions that provide information related to questions you have about to your issue. Our proposed strategic plan, along with its supporting research, will be published on our PUBLIC wikispace: RISchools.
In your team, you will decide on an overall question at least one research subquestion per person in your team. Each team member will locate and summarize one textbook chapter and five articles related to one of these subquestions. Each team will create a background research page in URITK that will combine these summaries to form a collection of articles around the original issue. Each individual’s research as well as the team’s background research page will be initially posted in URITK.
The second component of this project is a teach-in. Each group will have one class period to teach the class as much as they can about their particular reform issue and its potential impact on RI schools. Each class must include both background information and an engaging activity. Background information can include presentations, videos, powerpoint slides, etc. Activities can include application tasks, games, discussions, skits, you name it. (You’re the teachers!). Since time is so short, each group will also moderate a discussion online about their research and what they taught us in class.
Instructions
Part 1: Background Research Guidelines
Part 2: Teach-in